


Heaven on Earth

by ah_kaashi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Angels, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, More characters to be added, Slow Burn, Souls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-21 13:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7389211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ah_kaashi/pseuds/ah_kaashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Basically, you're heaven's lost property, and I'm here to take you back."</p><p>This guy is crazy, Akaashi affirmed.</p><p>"That's the worst pick-up line I've ever heard," Akaashi deadpanned. "And also...no."</p><p>Angel AU (Based off a prompt on feed-the-writer.tumblr.com)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Strange Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to write my first multi-chapter fic :) I'm kind of going with the flow with this one, so hope you guys enjoy!  
> Link to the prompt [here](http://feed-the-writer.tumblr.com/post/134238331050/quoteideaau-prompt).

Akaashi had the distinct feeling of being watched.

He peered through the café window, scanning the street; a small group was having brunch at the restaurant across the street, and a few businessmen were walking on the sidewalk, cups of coffee in hand, but no one seemed to be paying the café any mind.

"Waiting for someone?" Akaashi blinked and returned his gaze inside, directing his attention to the speaker, a tall man with severely unkempt hair and a mischievous grin. He set down a steaming cup of tea. "Have you finally decided to bring a date to this lovely café of mine?"

"I would hardly call it _your_ café, Kuroo-san," Akaashi replied dryly. "And even if I did have a date, I'd make sure to take them far, far away from you. But thank you for the tea."

"Your words, they wound me, Akaashi."

The man, Kuroo, clutched his chest in mock indignation, before he was called over to another table. Akaashi sipped at his tea, staring idly at the blank page in front of him.

He still couldn't shake the feeling; he had definitely felt a piercing gaze on his back for the past couple of days. But every time he looked around, no one seemed to be looking his way, and he never seemed to note anything out of the ordinary. 

Perhaps he could attribute it to lack of sleep. He directed his attention to the untouched notebook in front of him, opened up to a fresh new page. He'd been trying to write the next chapter of his novel for several days now, but couldn't get past his awful writer's block. He glared at the offending page in front of him, blaming its emptiness for his current concerns.

"Whoa, are you trying to write using telekinesis? I've never seen a human do _that_ before!"

The loud voice startled Akaashi out of his thoughts; he looked up to find himself face-to-face with a pair of brilliant gold orbs. The stranger was sitting on the opposite side of the booth, hands cradling his chin, a look of excitement and interest on his face as he continued to stare at Akaashi. His hair was a shock of white-silver and black, sticking straight up in two tufts. He seemed to wearing some sort of white shift, the shoulders held up with gold clasps. It reminded Akaashi a bit of a gladiator. 

"Can I...help you?" Akaashi asked carefully. Was he a university student? Perhaps he partied too hard and lost his way this morning...

The person boomed with laughter, a bit too loud for the setting.

"Help me! Nah, not really," he chortled, before settling down, a glint in his eye. "But I'm sure I can help you, Akaashi."

Akaashi tensed. How did this guy know his name? He glanced quickly to the counter, but Kuroo seemed not to have noticed his new company, nor did the sitting customers around him, despite the man's rather loud voice.

"Oh, oh, relax, I'm not some crazy weirdo or anything," the man said, noticing Akaashi's furtive glance. "The name's Bokuto Koutarou!"

This did not alleviate Akaashi's alarm.

"Okay, Bokuto-san..." Akaashi maintained a polite, controlled tone. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

"I just told you, I'm Bokuto," he replied, gesturing at himself. "Well, to be really complete, I'm Bokuto Koutarou, Gatherer of Lost Souls. Not  just any kind of souls, though. I gather angel souls. And you," he pointed his finger at Akaashi, "-Akaashi Keiji, are my next soul!"

"...What."

Bokuto hummed, seemingly trying to think of a better way to explain himself. He snapped his fingers.

"Basically, you're heaven's lost property, and I'm here to take you back."

_This guy is crazy_ , Akaashi affirmed. Definitely had too much to drink the night before, and the effects hadn't worn off.

"That's the worst pick-up line I've ever heard," Akaashi deadpanned. "And also...no."

Bokuto wilted a bit, but didn't seem particularly fazed. "Well, that's usually how it goes. Maybe I should change my opening routine, then I'd convince them more quickly..."

"Anyways," he continued, returning his attention back to Akaashi. "You won't say no for long. I always manage to get my souls back!"

Before he could reply, another voice interrupted.

"-Akaashi? Hello?"

Jolted, Akaashi turned to see Kuroo, whose hand was gently shaking Akaashi's shoulder. "Are you okay? You've been staring off into space and mumbling to yourself for the past few minutes."

"What? No, I was..." He shifted back to gesture at the crazy guy, but the booth opposite him was empty. Surprised, he looked around the cafe, but the spiky-haired individual had disappeared. "Kuroo-san, did you see that guy..."

"What are you talking about?" Kuroo peered at him more closely, taking note of the untouched notebook in front of him.

"Akaashi, you haven't been sleeping lately, have you?" He shook his head in disapproval, clicking his tongue. "You need to go home and rest! Stop drinking caffeine!"

Dazed, Akaashi allowed Kuroo to gather his belongings and unceremoniously shepherd him out the door, with instructions to go home and stop working. Akaashi meandered slowly down the streets back to his apartment complex, lost in thought.

It must have been a hallucination. Akaashi lived in a university neighborhood, so he sometimes did run into inebriated undergraduates at the little café Kuroo worked at, but it was odd that Kuroo had not seen the guy also. He had not realized the dire situation of his insomnia, if it was causing him to talk to figments of his imagination. Perhaps a long nap would do the trick. Still, a persistent sense of foreboding prickled at his skin as he made his way home.

Sighing, he shuffled his way up the stairs to his apartment door, fishing his keys out of his pocket. The pricking feeling grew stronger. Akaashi stilled, but quickly shook his head and unlocked the door. He was being silly. He turned the knob and slipped into his apartment.

"Akaashi, what is this black contraption that makes noise??"

"Geh!"


	2. A Dubious Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yeah...Hercules was a real pain in the butt. Clearly not a human. I mean, look at him! Getting into competitions with people and ending up accidentally killing half of them because he was too strong! I finally managed to convince him to come back to heaven, and we passed off his death as something strange and mystical."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one day? I'm clearly too excited and need to spend more time proofreading or something. Most of the set-up is all finished now, so hope you enjoy!

"How did you get in here?"

Akaashi narrowed his eyes at Bokuto, who seemed to be engaged in some sort of complicated arm wrestling match with his coffee maker. He stood rooted in his doorway and gripped his bag in front of him, as if it would somehow shield him from the eccentric character in his kitchen.

"Akaashi, you're so silly!" Bokuto laughed his booming laugh, disentangling himself from the machine. "You'll have to do more than put up locks and walls to keep an angel out. Well, to be fair, there isn't really anything you can do. Angels don't really conform to the human ideas of time and space."

He grinned and snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was right next to Akaashi in the doorway, elbow casually resting on his shoulder. Akaashi bit his lip to prevent himself from screaming.

"Eh, what are you doing?" Bokuto dropped his arm as Akaashi hastily made his way away from him, pulling out his cell phone from his bag to make a phone call. "Is that some sort of magic device?"

"Hello?" Akaashi spoke into his handheld. "Yes, I'd like to make a doctor's appointment...as soon as possible...yes...reason for my appointment? Ah, I think I'm hallucinating from lack of sleep. I'd like to get some sleeping pills prescribed..."

"Hey hey hey!" Bokuto piped up indignantly. "I'm not a hallucination!"

Again, he suddenly appeared beside Akaashi and grabbed the phone out of his hand. He stared suspiciously at it for a second before pushing the red 'End' button. He hummed happily.

"Great! No matter what century I'm in, red usually tends to mean 'stop.'" He started to push at the buttons randomly. "This thing's pretty cool though."

Akaashi sighed, mentally giving up trying to logically explain the phenomenon in front of him. If he could feasibly interact with the objects around him, he had to be somewhat real. At the very least, he didn't seem to harbor any sort of malicious intent against Akaashi, so there was no need to work himself into unnecessary alarm. He sat down at the small kitchen table, watching as Bokuto entertained himself with Akaashi's smart phone. 

"Century? Are you not from this time?" Akaashi asked, knowing full well how ridiculous that sounded. But he had to make some sense of the situation.

"Nope! Like I said, time doesn't really apply to angels." He managed to snap a picture of himself with his tongue sticking out. He turned to face Akaashi.

"There isn't really 'time' in heaven. Whenever I get an assignment, I just pop into the human world at whatever instant my soul happens to be hanging out in. This is actually my first time in the 21st century! I've only been here for a little bit but you guys have so many cool gadgets! This stuff would have been nifty in Ancient Greece."

_Ah, I was close_ , Akaashi mused. He took a look at Bokuto again now that he was standing up. His white garb extended down to right above his knees and cinched neatly at the waist. He was wearing gold sandals that strapped ridiculously up most of his (very toned) lower legs. Not that Akaashi noticed.

"Yeah...Hercules was a real pain in the butt. Clearly not a human. I mean, look at him! Getting into competitions with people and ending up accidentally killing half of them because he was too strong! I finally managed to convince him to come back to heaven, and we passed off his death as something strange and mystical."

"That would...make sense," Akaashi replied, thoughtful. "Then, aren't angels supposed to have halos and white wings too?"

Bokuto shook his head, chuckling again. "Humans make up the funniest things about us sometimes. Then again, you guys aren't entirely wrong."

Before Akaashi could comprehend, Bokuto snapped his fingers and a mottled mass started to grow out of his back. Slowly, it grew larger and larger, stretching out into an arching shape, elegant and wide, making the space in Akaashi's kitchen seem to shrink. A mottled arrangement of gray, light brown, and black feathers mixed with brilliant white. Finally, the transformation stopped, and Bokuto gave him a triumphant look, wings outstretched and flapping lazily behind him.

"Those are amazing," Akaashi breathed.

"Aren't they?" Bokuto nodded vigorously. "If you come back then you'll get your own too!"

Akaashi inclined his head questioningly. "You keep saying that. But why do you need me to come back?"

"Well, lots of reasons," Bokuto began, crossing his arms behind his head. "For one, angel souls that end up in human bodies tend to be a little different. You guys are special. For Hercules, he had crazy super strength, and that didn't mesh well with regular humans. To keep him safe and other humans safe, we had to bring him back."

Bokuto paused, and his face became slightly grim. "That's not always the case though. Sometimes...the angel soul itself blends in well with the human, and no glaringly out-of-the-ordinary behavior appears. But, other, regular humans still might notice.

"Being human doesn't completely mask your soul's true nature. Sometimes, it just means the angel-turned-human is extra popular with their friends and acquaintances.  It's not always harmless, though. Being "different" also causes isolation, bullying, and attacks by others who can't figure out _why_ you're different. In some cases, you might be taken advantage of."

Akaashi shivered at the thought. He'd never felt particularly different from any of his companions. Much less different enough to stand out and be targeted.

"But don't worry so much about that!" Bokuto said, noticing the rather dark turn in his explanation. "A lot of those cases were from earlier times. You know, the witch scares in America? Those were actually lost angel souls. That kind of thing probably wouldn't happen in this age, but it still doesn't hurt to be safe.

"Plus, being an angel is super fun! You get wings, you get to hang out in heaven with other cool angels, or you could visit different time periods like me and save souls like yourself!"

"Well..." Akaashi began slowly. "As interesting as that all sounds, I have a life here. I have a profession, friends...I can't just suddenly leave all of my obligations and life behind to go frolick in heaven." Especially considering that he was still half-skeptical of the idea as a whole.

Bokuto nodded. "Hm, well, that's what Yukie-chan told me you might say. I guess there isn't much I can do about it now."

"As in...you're going to leave me alone now?" Akaashi asked cautiously.

"Nope!" Bokuto replied cheerily. "I'll just have to stick around until I've convinced you to come back!"

Akaashi watched in disbelief as the angel bounced happily into his living room and flopped belly first onto his couch, settling himself in. He groaned inwardly.

This was going to be more of a problem than he'd anticipated.

 


	3. An Interesting Companion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did you say…chariot racing?" Kuroo asked. "Holy shit. Do you own a chariot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I think I'm going to stick to weekly updates for this. After pushing out the first two chapters, I'm trying to slow down and write more thoroughly. I think at some point I'll go back to rewrite those two chapters to fill in some more detail, but for now I shall press onwards! I'm still getting the hang of this multi-chapter thing, so please bear with the slowness and if the characters are a little OOC; more character development and story to come! :)

"Well, Akaashi-kun, I am a bit confused," a voice said through the speaker. "I think it's wonderful that you're going out of your comfort zone, but isn't it a bit odd to introduce a new plot halfway through your novel? Also, I'm not entirely sure your new character - Bokuto, was it? – fits into your overall theme..."

"...You're right, Takeda-sensei, I'm not really sure what's gotten into me," Akaashi replied wearily. "I'll send you a revised chapter in a few days...yes...I'm sorry about that...thank you." He ended the call with a sigh.

"Bokuto-san, that was not meant to be sent to my editor."

"Akaaaashi. But it was so great! I don't understand why your editor doesn't want a cool character like me." He slid Akaashi’s phone across the table and scrolled through it, finally settling on a colorful-looking app to play.

Akaashi sighed again and took a sip of his tea, making no attempt to retrieve his stolen phone. They had come to the café right after the lunch rush; only a few customers sat scattered about the shop, so they were able to sit in Akaashi’s favorite spot. Warm sunlight washed in from the window adjacent to their booth, and the low murmur of the other patrons and Kuroo’s jazzy playlist blended into comfortable background noise. He closed his eyes and sat back, trying to relax in the languid atmosphere.

Even if he were to write a story about Bokuto, he had no idea how it would play out; as in, if Bokuto had put his plan of convincing Akaashi to go back to heaven into effect, Akaashi couldn't tell. The angel seemed to come and go as he pleased, often appearing when Akaashi least expected it (he was so startled the last time he'd nearly dropped a hot pan on his foot). He seemed to be in no rush, and hadn't brought up the topic of going back again since their first encounter. When he was around, he mainly just played outdated games on Akaashi’s phone or flipped through old volleyball magazines (he seemed particular fond of an advertisement for a pair of legging-like kneepads). That, and getting into endless arm-wrestling matches with Akaashi's home appliances.

 _These things take time, Akaashi_ , Bokuto had said, when Akaashi had inquired a few days before, half out of curiosity and half out of exasperation from having him around. _The longer you stick around with me, the more you'll see that you have to come back. And not only because I'm awesome_ – Akaashi had rolled his eyes at the comment – _but also because the 'angel' part of you will start to come out!_

Akaashi had no idea what Bokuto had meant by that. The past twenty-two years of his life had been fairly normal, so he couldn’t imagine suddenly gaining extraordinary abilities. Was he just going to wake up one day and find that he could bend space and time? He cracked one eye open to look at Bokuto, who was deeply engrossed in maintaining his combo. Rather than awakening Akaashi’s supposedly latent abilities, it seemed like the angel was just sticking around to hassle him.

"Also, how did you figure out how to use the fax machine?"

"I watched you do it the first time!" Bokuto paused the game he was playing momentarily to flash Akaashi a triumphant grin, before something else caught his attention. "Hey hey hey, what's that?"

Akaashi followed Bokuto's gaze to a boy sitting at the counter holding a PSP in his hands. He quickly recognized the yellow-dyed tips and hunched-over posture of his friend and Kuroo's longtime childhood companion, Kenma. As if sensing their attention, he looked up, catching Akaashi's eye. He gave a tiny nod of his head and then, peculiarly, glanced directly in Bokuto's direction. Akaashi blinked a few times, wondering if he was simply looking through the window behind him, but he had an eerie sense that Kenma was looking right at the angel.

"Bokuto-san," Akaashi muttered under his breath. "No one else should be able to see you, right?"

Before Bokuto could answer, Kenma's attention was distracted by Kuroo, who had appeared behind the counter with a heaping plate of food. He plucked the handheld from Kenma’s grip and attempted to replace it with chopsticks, which Kenma adamantly refused.

"Oi, Kenma, you need to eat too, dammit!"

Akaashi watched as Kuroo continued to make a fuss. "For a moment it seemed as though Kozume was looking at you."

"That yellow-haired kid?” Bokuto asked, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He snapped his fingers, vanishing from his spot across from Akaashi and appearing again in the next booth over. He sat cross-legged on the table between the two patrons, head resting comfortable in the palm of his hand. The two continued to talk animatedly, completely oblivious to the presence of the spiky-haired angel.  He looked over at Akaashi and shrugged.

"Akaashi."

Kenma had made his way over to their booth, and now stood next to Akaashi. His diminutive stature made him only a little taller than Akaashi sitting down. At the counter, Kuroo was grinning sheepishly as one of his coworkers – Daichi, if Akaashi recalled correctly – lectured him on his loud behavior.

"Kozume, it's been awhile," Akaashi greeted. "How have you been? Kuroo-san mentioned you've been busy with your YouTube channel lately."

Kenma made a face. "Like I said before, you can just call me Kenma. And not really...I just tell him that so he'll study instead of bothering me."

"I knew it!" Kuroo interjected from behind the counter, pointing an accusatory finger at Kenma. Akaashi marveled at his acute sense of hearing. Daichi elbowed him sharply in the side; Kuroo doubled over in pain, disappearing from view. He turned to apologize to the customers at the counter, an embarrassed smile on his face, but Akaashi swore he could see a vein lightly throbbing under his short, black hair.

Ignoring the outburst completely, Kenma gestured at Akaashi's phone, which was still lit up with Bokuto's paused game. "I didn't know that you played games too...you don't seem the type." _Shit._

"You're right, I don't play them much," Akaashi replied carefully. He locked eyes with the other, gaze steady. He noticed that Kenma’s eye shone gold like Bokuto’s, though he could tell they were more calculating, taking in every detail and movement. "Just occasionally, to pass the time."

Kenma tilted his head slightly, but seemed to accept his answer. "I see...well, I don’t want Kuro to cause another scene, so I’ll be going now…" He pulled out his PSP again, clicking it on as he shuffled away. At the door, he half-turned back, angling his head towards where Bokuto was still eavesdropping on the two patrons, but slipped out without another word.

Akaashi frowned. There was no way Kenma could've seen Bokuto...but the thought continued to nag at him. Bokuto finally returned, presumably to finish his game. Akaashi closed his eyes again, trying to still his thoughts. The lack of sleep on top of all his newfound problems was really getting to him.

“Heey Akaashi, are you okay,” Bokuto asked, peering curiously at him.

“I’m fine,” Akaashi replied, exhaling slowly. He opened one eye. “Although, it might be better not to talk so much in public. I might be sleep-deprived, but not enough to look like I’m talking to myself.”

“But Akaaaaaaashi.” Bokuto pouted at him.

"...Fine, we can leave," Akaashi sighed. He had gotten his caffeine fix, and he needed to focus on writing the next chapter of his novel anyways, in case Bokuto decided to send more illicit copies of his scratch work. He got up to return the empty cup at the counter, where Kuroo had resumed working, albeit much more quietly. Daichi hovered nearby, keeping an eye out for errant behavior.

"Thanks, Akaashi," Daichi said, taking the cup from him. He hesitated for a few seconds, as if debating whether or not to say something. Upon Akaashi's inquiring look, he relented.

"Ah, well, usually you come in here alone," he explained, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "So I was surprised that you were with someone else today. He looks, er, quite interesting."

"Oho? Did you say Akaashi brought a friend today?" Kuroo interjected, peering around Daichi to look at where Akaashi was sitting previously. Slowly, the meaning of their words dawned on him. With horror, he realized that the two of them were looking at Bokuto, who was sitting happily against the light-brown leather booth looking as if he'd walked out of the pages of a Greek mythology textbook. Even barring his eccentric attire, his wild two-toned hair was enough to set him apart from the other patrons in the shop. Bokuto spotted them looking his way and gave Akaashi a huge grin. He got up and positively bounded over to where they were standing.

"Hey hey hey! What's going on here?"

"Hey there,” Kuroo greeted. “Didn’t know Akaashi had other friends besides me. I was starting to get a little worried about him.” He grinned deviously, but Akaashi barely heard, still registering his surprise and mild panic. He gestured to Bokuto’s attire. “You look pretty comfortable wearing that.”

"Yeah, it’s really great!” Bokuto replied cheerfully. "Lots of leg room. Although, I wish I’d gotten to keep the cape. It kind of got in the way during chariot racing though. The wheels are so big and sometimes you just get so into the race you don’t notice until it gets caught and you’re being dragged halfway across the stadium behind your chariot. Had a few too many near-death experiences before I had to retire that thing." He shook his head glumly.

"Did you say…chariot racing?" Kuroo asked. "Holy shit. Do you own a chariot."

"Not here, but they're super easy to make!" Bokuto exclaimed. "It's pretty fun!"

"Bro, you've got to show me."

"Bro?!?" Bokuto exclaimed, excitement shining in his eyes. "Bro! Totally!"

“What is happening.” Akaashi and Daichi simply stood there, shocked at how quickly the two were bonding over _chariot-racing_.

"This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Daichi murmured, a confused smile on his face.

"I knew Kuroo was a nerd, but not to this extent,” Akaashi replied, still coming to terms with the now solid-and-parading-around-as-a-human Bokuto. “This sounds like a disaster in the making.”

Akaashi intervened as the two were exchanging phone numbers. Or rather, Kuroo was punching his number into Akaashi’s phone. “…In any case, we should get going, Bokuto-san.”

“Selfish, Akaashi!” Kuroo tutted at him as he quickly steered Bokuto out of the shop. Daichi waved at him with an apologetic look, as if he could foresee the imminent exasperation in Akaashi’s future. They exited, Kuroo shouting a “Call me later~” at them before the door shut.

"Akaashi! I fixed the problem!” Bokuto exclaimed once they were out of the shop and out of earshot. “Now we can talk all the time in public! _And_ I can make chariots with Kuroo."

"I’m not entirely sure the problem has been fixed, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi sighed heavily. He had a feeling the two of them together was somehow a very, very bad idea, but he couldn’t worry about it too much at the moment. The awkward stares they were getting from passersby as they walked down the street was Akaashi’s more pressing concern.

“This isn’t the way back to your place, is it?” Bokuto asked curiously, as they turned into a busier plaza. People were milling about, talking to friends and holding bags loosely at their sides. Colorful signs and mannequins were on display in each building window.

“Nope,” Akaashi replied determinedly. “We’re going shopping first.”

//

 A few hours later, they were back at Akaashi's apartment. Despite the massive amount of stares they'd gotten and the number of times Akaashi had to prevent Bokuto from accidentally shoplifting, Akaashi felt quite satisfied with what he’d managed to accomplish in the afternoon. Bokuto was now dressed in a navy t-shirt and plain black track pants, which, Akaashi had to admit, made him look quite athletic, but more importantly, like a normal 21st century human being. He had assured Bokuto that he was going to wash his white linens for him (“You guys have _machines_ for that kind of thing now?!”) but he’d tactfully hidden them away for discreet disposal later. There wasn't anything he could do about the hair, but at least now it didn't look like Bokuto was entering the ancient Olympics.

Akaashi, too, was dressed in more comfortable clothing, sporting loose grey sweatpants and a clean white t-shirt. He sat comfortably in his living room, feet tucked underneath him on his cream-colored couch, a thick book open in his lap. Bokuto was sprawled on the carpeted ground beneath him, admiring some kneepads in a volleyball catalogue he had picked up outside the active-wear store. Akaashi was trying to focus on the hefty tome in front of him, but his thoughts kept straying to the various events of the day, one of them being the persistent reminder of Kenma’s strange behavior earlier.

“Neh, Akaaashi, what are you reading?” Bokuto asked, looking at him upside-down from his position on the floor.

“A brief history of Northeast Asia,” Akaashi responded, though he hadn’t turned a single page in the past ten minutes. Normally he’d be more reluctant in letting Bokuto pull him into conversation, but he wasn’t focusing anyways. “I’m doing some research on ancient civilizations in Mongolia for my novel.”

“Ehh, you work so hard, Akaashi.”

He shrugged. “Even though I write fiction, reading these books help me write more realistically. It also helps me pass the time when I can’t sleep.”

“Realistic?” Bokuto shimmied up to where Akaashi was sitting on the couch, angling his head over Akaashi’s thigh to see the text on the page. “Bah. These guys don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“Are you telling me that this book isn’t historically accurate?” Akaashi shifted, angling himself away from the angel.

“I mean, generally, it is,” Bokuto conceded, flopping back down on the floor. “But why read a book when you can just ask me! I was there when all that stuff happened.”

He pointed again to the text. “Genghis and I became real buddies while I was trying to convince _him_ to come back to heaven.”

“You’ve got to be joking,” Akaashi deadpanned. Seriously, was every major character in history an angel in disguise?

Shaking his head vigorously, Bokuto replied, “What human would have been able to single-handedly conquer nearly all of Asia? Listen, Akaashi…”

Hearing Bokuto explain his account was actually quite fascinating. For someone with such a short attention span, he had an amazing capacity for remembering the details of his time in the 12th century. Akaashi marveled at the minute details of Bokuto’s descriptions, from the people to the culture to the events sparsely mentioned in the history books he perused. His stories were rich and interesting, breathing life and color into the words Akaashi had been reading on the pages beforehand.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the armrest as Bokuto continued to chatter. The information was far too much for him to use in his work, but it was still interesting nonetheless. Bokuto was an excellent storyteller, Akaashi had to give him that.

 _Maybe_ , Akaashi thought drowsily, the cadence of Bokuto’s excited voice lulling his already tired mind. _It’s not so bad to have him around._

For the first time in days, Akaashi fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of Bokuto telling Akaashi stories until he falls asleep :')


	4. A Table For One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Angels don’t need to eat, I’m assuming?”
> 
> “Nah, but it’s not like I can’t. Which, by the way, is another cool perk. You don’t need to eat!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late, I'm sorry! I got my wisdom teeth pulled out yesterday (after years of avoiding it) and spent all day sleeping instead of editing...excuses aside, hope you enjoy :) Warning in advance for some slight angst this chapter..

_It’s not so bad to have him around_ , Akaashi tried to convince himself as another dubious-sounding crash came from his balcony. Maybe if he repeated it enough times he’d actually start believing it.

Akaashi was stationed at his kitchen table, fanning himself with a stack of papers while he edited, his neat kanji filling margins in with red. The sun was just beginning to set, though the air was still quite warm. Through his sliding door, he could see clouds of dust form as Bokuto and Kuroo sawed and drilled at the base of their chariot.

Two weeks had passed since Bokuto decided to appear as a human, and Akaashi couldn’t tell if it was a blessing or a curse. Having Bokuto in a solid form made Akaashi feel less like he was going crazy, since other people could see him now as well, but at the same time, it also meant Bokuto hung around more than he did previously. He didn’t particularly mind the angel anymore, but he was certain that his neighbors were beginning to hate the prolonged sounds of construction coming from his apartment.

 Unsurprisingly, Kuroo’s mischievous behavior meshed very well with Bokuto’s curious and fun-loving personality. The two were quickly becoming very good friends; it had gotten to the point where Akaashi had to get Bokuto his own phone just so that his would stop getting bombarded with silly texts and memes from Kuroo. With the newfound privacy of their channel of communication, they had planned and staged a sit-in in front of Akaashi’s apartment. Power tools and chariot-making material in tow, they had refused to leave until Akaashi allowed them to use his balcony as their project space. Despite the noise and the sawdust, the arrangement worked fairly well. Kuroo often came over on his days off from school and the café, entertaining Bokuto and as a result allowing Akaashi to get more of his own work done.

The noise outside eventually subsided, a signal that the two were finished for the day. Moments later, the two made their way in, tracking sawdust and sweat onto tile as they crossed the threshold into Akaashi’s kitchen. Even this late in the afternoon, the sun was unforgiving in its sweltering dominance; Akaashi could see hints of red around Kuroo’s shoulders and neck, the tell-tale signs of a blooming sunburn. Though Bokuto’s own tank showed signs of dampness, his skin seemed unaffected by the sun’s harsh rays.

“How is the novel going, ‘kaashi?” Kuroo asked while he helped himself to a glass of water at the sink. “When are you planning to release it? The end of this year?”

“Not until next spring, actually,” he replied, crossing out another line of text with a thin line. “I’m dedicating some more time to the research, and the extended date is a bit less stress on Takeda-sensei and me, in general.”

“Well, I suppose when you’re already a bestselling novelist, there’s not much pressure to push things out, eh.” He grinned.

“Ohhh, I didn’t know Akaashi was famous!” Bokuto exclaimed, his arching gray eyebrows shooting up in amazement, eyes wide.

“Sure is,” Kuroo cut in over Akaashi’s low noise of denial. “His book was flying off the shelves as soon as it was published, and this was even before he graduated, mind you. He’s the most popular author in fiction right now, and probably the youngest, too.”

“That’s not true,” Akaashi murmured in counter. “I was lucky to have Takeda-sensei; he and Yachi-chan did a very good job with publicity.”

“You’re just being modest,” Kuroo replied, shaking his head ruefully at him. “Actually, I was just talking to Suga the other day about it too, since he’s overseeing a contemporary literature seminar at the university this semester. He’s flying out of the country for a few weeks for a conference, and I think he mentioned something about looking for a guest lecturer. They might not be reading your book, but I think he and his students would get a real kick out of it if you substituted for him.”

“Hmm.” Akaashi folded his hands together, wringing them aimlessly as he weighed the offer in his mind. He did have more spare time than usual, since it was still a while off before his publication deadline. Plus, he did rather miss the classes at the university; he often found a lot of inspiration from the naturally studious environment. It would be nice, too, to hear the different opinions from the bright-minded students Suga was sure to be nurturing in his class.

“Perhaps,” he said finally. “I’ll ask Suga-san about it later.”

“Great!” Kuroo clapped his hands together. “Now that that’s settled, let’s grab something to eat; I’m starved. We’ve been working on the chariot all day, and you’ve been cooped up in this apartment for too long. There’s no way Akaashi Keiji isn’t hungry after all that editing.”

Kuroo wasn’t wrong, though the observant cat rarely was. Akaaashi’s eyes were smarting from his minute concentration, and he could definitely feel the pangs of hunger coming from his stomach. He, as well as Kuroo, hadn’t eaten anything since the morning. In Kuroo’s eyes, neither had Bokuto, though Akaashi was pretty certain the angel didn’t need that sort of sustenance, if any. He glanced over at him, seemingly unfazed by the suggestion of food.

As bothersome as Kuroo was sometimes, he knew when to draw the line, for which Akaashi was grateful. After rather vague answers from Bokuto concerning his personal life, Kuroo learned to avoid the topic, being mindful of his privacy. He did, however, probe Bokuto on his extensive knowledge of history and its prominent figures, while Bokuto bombarded him with questions about the many technological advances of the 21st century. It certainly confused Kuroo, but he entertained Bokuto’s queries without batting an eyelash. Though Akaashi was hoping they could continue to skirt around all of Bokuto’s peculiarities, he supposed this one was inevitable.

“Well…” he hesitated.

“Food sounds great!” Bokuto interjected. He flashed Akaashi a bright smile, picking up on his reluctance.

Kuroo cheered. “I can drive. Let me just wash up in the bathroom real quick.”

As he disappeared into the hallway, Akaashi leaned over. “Bokuto-san, is it really okay? Angels don’t need to eat, I’m assuming?”

“Nah, but it’s not like I can’t,” Bokuto shrugged. “Which, by the way, is another cool perk. You don’t need to eat!”

Akaashi couldn’t imagine a life without eating.

//

As it turned out, not needing to eat and not wanting to eat were two vastly different spectrums.

Kuroo had driven them into the lively downtown area near the university and not too far away from his work, where the streets were lined with small shops and restaurants. Many of them were filled to the brim with college-aged students, but they managed to squeeze into a small booth at a less-known, but still busy all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant. If Akaashi thought Kuroo had the largest appetite for grilled meat, the notion was quickly challenged and overthrown by Bokuto. Despite his claim of not needing to eat, he vacuumed the meat off the grill as if his life depended on it, causing many chopstick battles and arguments with Kuroo. Akaashi watched in quiet amusement as he helped himself to rice balls, while occasionally managing to snag a piece of meat from under their noses.

After eating their fill, they wandered down the street to Akaashi and Kuroo’s favorite shaved ice stand, enjoying the sweet dessert before the cool night air settled in. They walked as they ate, admiring the colorful lanterns that lit up the street and complemented the warm yellows filtering out of shop windows. Every once in a while they would pass a memorable spot and Kuroo would regale Bokuto about some silly memory from their undergraduate years, like the time when Kuroo got too drunk and accidentally pushed Akaashi into the plaza fountain while he was trying to help him home. Kuroo and Bokuto laughed boisterously, loud and cheerful, and as exasperating as some of the stories were, Akaashi couldn’t help but crack a small smile here and there as well.

The early night trickled quickly into late evening, and eventually Kuroo took them back to Akaashi’s apartment, admitting to having a stack of papers he still needed to go over for his lab.

“Are you sure you don’t need a ride back to your place, Bo?” he asked as the two got out.

“I’m fine, I have to grab some things here first anyways,” Bokuto lied easily. “I can walk home afterward.”

“Alright,” Kuroo shrugged, but not before shooting Akaashi a sly look. “If you say so.”

Akaashi pointedly ignored the look, but raised his hand in farewell as Kuroo pulled away from his complex. The two headed up the stairs, Akaashi pulling out his keys to let them in.

“I didn’t know you and Kuroo were so close,” Bokuto commented.

“To an extent, yes,” Akaashi replied distractedly as he unlocked the door. “Kuroo and I shared an apartment for a few years together while I was still working on my bachelor’s.” Bokuto flopped down as he usually did onto Akaashi’s couch, limbs splayed, while Akaashi poured a glass of water for himself.

“He was quite troublesome, actually,” Akaashi continued a few moments later, settling down into the armchair adjacent to Bokuto. “But I somehow got used to it. And even though he doesn’t seem like it, he can be reliable when he needs to be. If it weren’t for him, I probably would have failed general chemistry my first year.”

“That must be really nice,” Bokuto replied, an odd note in his voice. “It must be really nice to have someone you are really close to.”

Akaashi glanced over at Bokuto; he lay face-up on the couch, hands behind his head and a faraway look on his face. His normally bright eyes were unfocused and subdued, and a small frown had made its way onto his features.

“Do you…do you not have someone like that?” Akaashi asked quietly.

“Not really,” he responded, blowing a wayward strand of gray from his face. “I don’t normally stay somewhere long enough for anything like that to happen. Even with the angels I bring back, we all have our own jobs and purposes, so I usually don’t see them after they come back.”

“How come you do this, then?” Akaashi probed cautiously. “Can’t you stay in heaven?”

“It’s my job,” he stated simply, a sad, rueful smile on his face. “If I didn’t bring you guys back…well, then I really _would_ be all alone.”

It had never occurred to Akaashi until that moment how solitary Bokuto’s profession was. He had simply assumed that when Kuroo asked about his personal, Bokuto deflected the questions to hide his identity, but he didn’t realize it might be because Bokuto didn’t have friends and family to speak of. Up until that point, he realized that Bokuto’s exploits almost never included other angels, save for the occasional reference to “Yukie-chan,” who Akaashi assumed was some sort of authority figure. He had thought it just part of the angel’s lively nature that he talked about his adventures with such excitement, but it could have just been a way to hide his loneliness. Traversing time, meeting all of those characters in history, but not being able to stay in any one place or have a constant connection with anyone…Akaashi looked at Bokuto’s normally animated figure, forlorn and withdrawn on his couch.

In that moment, the angel seemed very, very small.

“Can I see your wings again?” Akaashi asked suddenly, surprising both himself and Bokuto. He didn’t normally act impulsively on his own whims, but he knew at that moment that he wanted to see Bokuto not as a defeated, lonely figure on his couch, but as the bright, bold angel that he’d presented himself as.

Bokuto gave him an odd look, but complied nonetheless. Rolling off the couch, he positioned himself carefully on the ground, his back facing away from Akaashi. Akaashi felt a tingle in his fingertips as the space along Bokuto’s shoulder blades began to glow and take shape. Slowly, the heterogeneous mixture of feathers grew and expanded until they reached Bokuto’s full wingspan, elegant and majestic. Even though it was the second time he’d seen them, Akaashi was still blown away by the beauty.

He unconsciously reached forward with his hand, but stopped himself halfway through the gesture. Before he could draw his arm away, Bokuto lightly grabbed his hands with his own. Vaguely, Akaashi noticed that his hands were larger than Bokuto’s, though Bokuto’s radiated warmth against his own cold fingers. Keeping his grasp on Akaashi, he turned around and settled Akaashi’s hands at the base of his wings. Slowly, Bokuto guided Akaashi’s fingers through the feathers; they were soft and yielding to the touch, the smaller feathers tickling his skin. Bokuto’s hands fell away, but Akaashi continued to explore the plumage, enveloping his hands as they brushed between layers of gray and brown.

The moment was peaceful, and Akaashi could feel the angel relax underneath the movement of his fingertips.

“You’re not the only one,” Akaashi started, stroking the feathers absentmindedly. “I…don’t have any family, either. Before Kuroo…I was alone, too.”

Bokuto turned his head over his shoulder, surprise reflecting in his golden irises.

“Akaashi.” He smiled widely. He flapped his wings gratefully, causing Akaashi a face-full of feathers.

“Ugh, Bokuto-san.” He turned his head away, half to shield his face and half to hide the upward twitch of his mouth.

Maybe it was his imagination, but for a second, Bokuto had positively glowed, a burst of warm gold in Akaashi’s small living room.

//

“Thanks for doing this, Akaashi,” Suga said gratefully, handing over a small stack of books and folders. “The conference invitation was so sudden, I was having a hard time finding someone who could fill in for me on such short notice. I hope it’s not too boring for you, since it’s more of an introductory class.” He smiled apologetically.

“It’s no trouble, Suga-san,” Akaashi replied, taking the course material. “It’s nice to have a change of pace once in a while, and I’m sure I can find valuable insight in your students.”

“Haha, I hope so,” Suga shook his head as they exited his office. “Some of them can be a real handful.” They walked to the end of the hall before bidding each other goodbye, the gray-haired man disappearing into the crowd of students.

Outside, Akaashi made his way through more throngs of people heading to their morning classes. At a turn, Bokuto appeared in stride beside him, dressed casually in white shorts and a dark blue v-neck. Any indication of his melancholy from the night before was gone, his demeanor back to its usual cheerfulness.

“Neh, Akaashi, that guy was really beautiful,” Bokuto commented in awe. “Are you sure he’s not an angel in disguise?”

“Wouldn’t you know better than me, Bokuto-san?”

“Ah, you’re right!” He smacked his fist against his palm. “Of course I would know!”

Akaashi shook his head slightly at Bokuto’s antics before a tall, messy-haired individual caught his attention. “Ah, it looks like Kuroo-san also had class this morning.”

The two weaved their way over to a sleepy-looking Kuroo, who was paying for a cup of coffee at an outdoor stand. As they got closer, Kenma’s black-blonde hair became distinguishable beside the taller man. He looked up from his handheld at their approach. He tugged at Kuroo’s flannel to get his attention, but Akaashi noted that the boy didn’t let go even when Kuroo caught sight of them, his fist firmly twisted into the shirt’s fabric.

“Bro!” Bokuto bounded up to Kuroo in greeting, slapping him energetically on the back.

“Bokuto,” he responded, a tired but still mischievous grin on his face. “How do you have so much energy this early in the morning? And I see you’ve managed to get Akaashi out at this hour as well, I’m impressed.”

“I was meeting with Suga-san this morning, actually,” Akaashi explained, inclining his head to the small burden in his arms. “I decided to take him up on the substitute position.”

“That’s great! Maybe I’ll actually see you around campus more- hey, Bo, stop that, I can just buy you another cup if you want to try.” Kuroo laughed, holding his cup away from Bokuto’s curious hands.

Kenma had dislodged himself from Kuroo once Bokuto had gotten closer, the wary look in his eyes not escaping Akaashi’s notice. He tapped his shoulder.

“Is something the matter, Koz- Kenma?” he asked. Kenma stared up at him, seemingly considering his options, before pulling Akaashi a bit away from the other two, who had begun bantering loudly as Kuroo purchased another cup of coffee. Akaashi hoped that caffeine didn’t have any effect on the already exuberant angel, but his worry was quickly overshadowed by Kenma’s next statement.

“What are you doing hanging around an angel?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I friend-ship Akaashi and Kuroo hardcore :))

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up on tumblr @ah-kaashi :)


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